Eucharistic imagination as a paradigm for practical theology

ABSTRACT

In a time when even spiritual programmes use business models to measure their effectiveness, the author proposes that it might be more effective to use a sacramental imagination as the ‘strategic plan' for pastoral care. While originally drafted from a Catholic’s experience in campus ministry, the author calls attention to other religious perspectives and incorporates some experiences of the 2020 global pandemic into an imaginative process. By engaging four elements of a eucharistic imagination (hospitality, gratitude, sacrifice, and transformation) ministers of many religious traditions can find practical methods for evaluating their sacred encounters.

KEYWORD:

• Eucharistic imagination

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s ).

Notes on contributor

Melanie-Préjean Sullivan is a Research Associate and Guest Lecturer with the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, Cambridge Theological Federation. A retired director of campus ministry in the United States, she now teaches for various theology and spirituality programmes and is actively engaged in interfaith work in Louisville, Kentucky.